3 years old.
Donuts and coffee for dinner.
Intelligence essentially wasted.
A hidden beautiful smile.
I met Madeline tonight. This was the first moment I declared, “I’m taking her home.” I have been struggling with connecting to the people we are ministering to. That changed this evening…this precious little girl instantly attached to me and actually fought going back to her mom. I was heart broken. Madeline would escape from her mother and run to me with her arms up, demanding to be picked up. The social worker in me almost immediately deduced some sort of abuse behavior, as Madeline clung to my jacket when I tried to give her back to her mom. I was so happy to finally find an aspect of ministry that I adored. I was finally able to see myself being natural since we left America.
God is growing me. He is melting my heart just when I thought it wasn’t meltable. I didn’t check my watch once. I didn’t think about how cold I was. My raging stomach pains were pushed aside. Because I was laughing with Madeline.
This little one is so bright. She repeated what I did and said and caught on to things I said and did very quickly.
Things I’m learning through Madeline…
1. It is easier to be myself, the joyous daughter God created me to be, than anyone else.
2. Spanish cannot hold me back.
3. God is using this month to push me and teach me, Madeline was my silver lining.
4. I have a gift from God when it comes to little ones, and I need to use it.
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WR Update…
We went to Antigua again last weekend and had a nice relaxing day (minus the bus rides…that was interesting…) We get to use internet on Monday and Thursday, but it’s still really slow. This weekend we are going to Panachel (?) to visit a big lake. Update on that next week. Headaches have been a little more under control but still very present. Since last weekend, stomachs have been raging in the house. Big prayers that nonsense stops ASAP.
